Pune police make lockdown-violators do yoga and exercise as a punishment

The Pune police on Thursday metedout a healthy punishment to morning walkers who violated theCOVID-19 lockdown, by making them perform yoga and exercise.As many as a 100 people, including 25 to 30 morningwalkers, were made to do yoga and exercise by personnel fromthe Kondhwa police station, an official said.

"Apart from morning walkers, we also caught hold ofpeople who had ventured out of their homes early in themorning to buy essentials," senior inspector Vinayak Gaikwadof Kondhwa police station said.

Lockdown violators were made to stand in a row whilemaintaining proper distance and were asked to perform yoga anddo some exercises, he said.

Cases will be registered against morning walkers undersection 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by publicservant) of the Indian Penal Code.

"We will issue notices to others who had stepped outto buy essentials," he added.

Kondhwa is one of the areas in Maharashtra's Punecity where several localities have been marked as containmentzones after several COVID-19 cases were found there.

"As per norms, Kondhwa residents are only supposed togo out to buy essentials between 10 am and 12 noon," Gaikwadsaid.

Similarly, Swargate police also detained over 70people for roaming on the streets in the early hours of theday, while Bibvewadi police made morning walkers from the areaperform yoga as a penalty for stepping out of their homesduring the lockdown. SPKARU ARU